Podcasts Culture Wisconsin Life Where does the ‘Driftless Area’ get its name? The history, boundaries of the southwest Wisconsin region

Where does the ‘Driftless Area’ get its name? The history, boundaries of the southwest Wisconsin region

Published: Oct. 5, 2022, 10 a.m.

As people enter the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, they’re transported from a relatively flat region to a sudden maze of rolling hills. Roads wind up the sides of bluffs and then back down to the valleys below. Its beauty is without question. But where does the name Driftless come from? WHYsconsin went to find the answer.